as in detectives
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the popular TV sleuth lives a much more action-packed life than do his real-world counterparts
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Recent Examples of sleuths
But as sleuths have noted, there is publishing precedent for a Communion with a colon attached.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
But eagle-eyed social media sleuths have pointed out one possible problem - the picturesque place of worship nestled in the green hills of Virginia featured on the cover appears to show a United Methodist church, not a Catholic one.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
That wasn’t the only item of note internet sleuths found.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 Apr. 2026
For decades, the Zeigler case has fascinated the public around the world, leading to television shows, books, documentaries and a variety of crime sleuths creating various conspiracy theories.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Amateur sleuths who tried to help solve the shocking case stirred up rumors online — many of which remained active and have only grown in the time since the college student homicides.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
That name is so common in England that searching for it would leave sleuths acting on a tip chasing endless possibilities.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
An army of amateur online sleuths has been parsing Burke’s lyrics, interviews and social media posts for clues, and the case has resulted in headlines in publications from the Los Angeles Times to the New York Post.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The investigation in the film becomes almost collaborative — with sleuths, researchers and the LAPD all involved.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
But eagle-eyed social media sleuths have pointed out one possible problem - the picturesque place of worship nestled in the green hills of Virginia featured on the cover appears to show a United Methodist church, not a Catholic one.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
That wasn’t the only item of note internet sleuths found.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 Apr. 2026
For decades, the Zeigler case has fascinated the public around the world, leading to television shows, books, documentaries and a variety of crime sleuths creating various conspiracy theories.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Amateur sleuths who tried to help solve the shocking case stirred up rumors online — many of which remained active and have only grown in the time since the college student homicides.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
That name is so common in England that searching for it would leave sleuths acting on a tip chasing endless possibilities.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
An army of amateur online sleuths has been parsing Burke’s lyrics, interviews and social media posts for clues, and the case has resulted in headlines in publications from the Los Angeles Times to the New York Post.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The investigation in the film becomes almost collaborative — with sleuths, researchers and the LAPD all involved.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleuths
Noun
-
Berkeley police said Hadari Darden is classified as a missing adult, and that detectives are in contact with neighboring agencies.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Tipsters may also call homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some of them said that the investigators initially did not contact important figures at the company.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
No information on the possible charges those people face was shared by investigators.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleuths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleuths. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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